Download The Great Weight Debate * A London conversation on obesity

Insert your
borough logo
here
‘The Great Weight Debate
- A xxx (add borough) conversation
on childhood obesity’
XXX (insert date) 2016
Why are we holding a ‘Great Weight
Debate’?
• London has more overweight and obese children than any other
global city
• More than a third of children are overweight or obese by the
time they leave primary school
• Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing public health
challenges facing London - this is just part of the work we are
doing to make sure children have healthier lives
• Global evidence suggests we are living in an ‘abnormal’
environment which is causing our childhood obesity epidemic
• We want to engage with people in xxx (insert borough) and get
your ideas on how we can help our children lead healthier lives
Obese children are at risk of:
• Health problems, including high cholesterol, high blood
pressure, pre-diabetes bone and joint problems, breathing
difficulties
• Emotional and behavioural challenges
• Increased risk of stigmatisation, bullying and low self esteem
• Increased absence from school, which can affect their learning
Obese children are also at increased risk of becoming
overweight adults. Obese adults are:
• less likely to be in employment
• at increased risk of discrimination and stigmatisation
• at increased risk of hospitalization
Our abnormal environment
Most experts agree that childhood obesity is caused by a
combination of environmental and social factors:
• Widespread availability of cheap, high calorie food, for
example fast food outlets and fizzy drinks
• Larger portion sizes than in the past
• Marketing of unhealthy foods to children
• Confusion among parents about what the healthiest food
options are for their children
• Lack of understanding in society generally of what a
‘normal’ weight is for a child
• City environment that discourages walking and cycling.
Did you know?
• There are more than 8,600 fast food shops in London
• The average chicken shop meal of chicken, chips and a
drink contains 70% of an adult’s daily calories
• On average, 11 to 18 year olds consume three times more
than the recommended amount of sugar every day
• Only 28 per cent of children in England achieve the
recommended activity levels
• The average child in England spends six hours a day in front
of a screen.
Changing our environment
Whilst we make choices about what we eat, and what we feed
our children, these choices are affected by the environment in
which we live.
Therefore, although some of the things we need to do to
reverse London’s childhood obesity epidemic involve people
changing their lifestyles, most of them involve changing our
environment.
This will include making changes at a community level, at local
authority level, a London-wide level and at a national level.
How can you get involved?
• The first thing you can do is to complete the
‘Great Weight Debate’ survey
• The survey asks Londoners what changes they
think would help children lead healthier lives
• The survey takes 5 minutes and can be found
on ‘The Great Weight Debate’ website:
http://gethealthy.london/greatweightdebate
Other ways you can get involved..
• Talk to friends and family and encourage them to complete
the ‘Great Weight Debate’ survey
• Share your thoughts on twitter #greatweightdebate
• Learn more about our childhood obesity crisis. The ‘Great
Weight Debate’ website has loads of useful information:
http://gethealthy.london/greatweightdebate
• Come and see me if you want to get involved in the Great
Weight Debate
Small steps make a big difference…
Be aware of how the environment affects your
choices:
• Avoid ‘super-sized’ drinks, crisps and chocolate
• Avoid buying ‘buy one, get one free’ deals if the
food isn’t healthy
• Try and cut down on the number of take-aways
you consume
• Always check food labelling, particularly on
processed foods
How can tackle childhood obesity in
xxx (insert borough)?
• We would all like our children to be more active day to day
– what do you think would help this to happen?
• How could we make walking and cycling to and from places
easier and more attractive?
• We all have sugary food and drink from time to time. What
would help you or your family to eat and drink these less
often?
• What would help you in a restaurant or takeaway shop to
understand which food and drink options are healthier?
How can tackle childhood obesity in
xxx (insert borough)?
• We know that young people in London buy takeaway/
convenience foods quite often. What do you think would
help young people to not buy as much unhealthy food and
drink?
• When you or your family are out and about what influences
the food and drink that you buy?
• What would help you or your family eat healthier? Many
of us have times when we would like to lose weight – are
there things that would help you or your child to maintain a
healthy weight?
For more information on childhood
obesity…
• Visit the ‘Great Weight Debate’ website:
http://gethealthy.london/greatweightdebate
• For more information on free weight management support
in XXXX (insert local borough name) XXX (insert borough
url)